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4-5 July Social Affairs Informal

MINISTERS discussed the implications for the Union’s socialand employment policy of the Amsterdam Treaty’s new chapter on jobs. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker argued that the new treaty provisions provided the basis for an increased role for social affairs ministers in planning the EU’s broad economic guidelines. At the moment, this annual strategy for the Union’s economic development is effectively drawn up by economic and finance ministers. Juncker said that the jobs chapter now meant the task should be shared between the two Councils. Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn agreed that the new chapter would allow the social dimension to be taken into consideration when planning future economic policy. “The new treaty strikes a new balance, giving employment policy much stronger emphasis. Employment is now a specific objective. It does not mean any change in our ambition to continue a stability-oriented macroeconomic policy. But it means that such policies must be combined with amuch more focused employment policy,” he said.

European Voice

7/9/97, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 2:20 AM CET

SOCIAL affairs ministers also discussed the forthcoming European summit on jobs. Juncker argued that the date originally proposed for the meeting – 15 October – was premature and would not allow enough time for national delegations to prepare useful contributions on the problem of unemployment. Ministers therefore pencilled in the date of 21 and 22 November, three weeks before EU heads of state and government assemble for their regular six-monthly summit. It was agreed that a joint reporton employment would be completed in time for the November meeting. The document was commissioned by national leaders at their meeting in Dublin last December.

PROBLEMS arose over aplan designed to break almost30 years of deadlock on aframework for setting up pan-European companies. Ministers discussed the formula – drawn up by a group of experts headed by former European Commis-sioner Etienne Davignon – over lunch. Bonn expressed particular reservations about the scheme, arguing that it would bedifficult for Germany to accept Davignon’s suggestion that workers’ representatives be guaranteed at least 20% of seats on the boards of European Companies. Under German national law, the workforce has the right to equal representation with management, although the chairman of the board has a casting vote. Juncker stressed that he wanted to see a breakthrough in the creation of the so-called European Company Statute by December.

THE European Commission’s Green Paper on new working methods also came up for discussion, with representatives of the ‘social partners’ – the European Trade Union Confederation, employers’ confederation UNICE and public employers’ organisation CEEP – invited to take part in thedebate. Representatives from the European Parliament’s social affairs committee were also present. Stressing the importance of the issue, Flynn said work organisation was “at the very heart of the balance which has to be achieved between companies’ need for flexibility and workers’ security”. Ministers stressedthat they would like the social partners to come up with a formula for any possible EU legislation which could be based on the consultation paper. They were asked to prepare a detailed response to the Green Paper ahead of the November jobs summit.